


edges of the sun

by GreenyLove



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Established Relationship, Flirting, Haikyuu!! Manga Spoilers, Long-Distance Relationship, Nonbinary Kozume Kenma, Other, Phone Calls, Post-Time Skip, Romantic Fluff, They/Them Pronouns for Kozume Kenma
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-17
Updated: 2020-10-17
Packaged: 2021-03-09 00:09:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,420
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27045520
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GreenyLove/pseuds/GreenyLove
Summary: It’s early morning in Brazil, but when Kenma curls up on their bed in the blueish evening quiet it’s easy to pretend that Shouyou is here with them and not watching the sun rise on the other side of the world.
Relationships: Hinata Shouyou/Kozume Kenma
Comments: 10
Kudos: 83





	edges of the sun

**Author's Note:**

> in honor of kenma's birthday i present: softness

At 5:45 PM, Kenma tells Kuroo to get out. 

Kuroo never goes gently. He drags his feet and ends up sprawled on the game room floor with an arm across his face, complaining that  _ Hinata is his friend too. _ Fortunately Kenma has years of built-up immunity to Kuroo’s dramatics. They don’t hold Kuroo’s attitude against him; he always gets clingy when his own boyfriend is out of town. 

Kenma yanks their lanky friend off the floor, promises to ask Shouyou if his tan is real or fake, and shoves Kuroo out the door. 

(It's a tiny lie. They will not ask Shouyou about his tan. Anyone with two brain cells and an Instagram can determine the tan is real.) 

At 5:51 PM, Kenma settles into their bed. 

The lights are off except for the soft glow of the aquarium LED, turning the walls lucent silver. They like a certain atmosphere when they talk to Shouyou. It’s early morning in Brazil, but when Kenma curls up on their bed in the blueish evening quiet it’s easy to pretend that Shouyou is here with them and not watching the sun rise on the other side of the world. 

At 6:00 PM, their phone chimes, video call incoming. They answer, and — Shouyou. 

Seven months in Rio show on Shouyou’s face: his tawny gold skin, the freckles on his nose and shoulders. They can detect improvements in his muscle mass as Rio makes Shouyou stronger. His hair is shorter now but still manages to stick up in a dozen directions. Shouyou smiles, the early morning light warming him in peach tones. He always calls from his bedroom, as soon as he wakes up. Mussed and sleep-warm, mumbling  _ g’morning  _ through his yawn, the sight of him makes Kenma hold their pillow tighter against their chest.

A room of sunlight and a room of shadows, a boy of fire and a boy who yearns for heat. In Kenma’s most romantic moods, the contrast drizzles affection like honey across their chest. It’s the kind of artistry they only saw in video games until they met Shouyou. 

“How did you sleep?” they ask. They’re settled against their pillows, legs bent, phone propped up against their knees. 

On screen, Shouyou’s eyes go wide. “My dreams were so weird! I think I was a shark, but also I think I was getting chased by a shark? Oh, and at one point I danced up a waterfall?” He leans closer to the camera as if to bring himself physically closer to Kenma. “Hey, it kinda reminded me of that game you streamed last week! With the waterfalls at the end?”

Kenma remembers. A throwback stream, five days ago, when they played  _ Journey _ with their viewers. “You watched my stream?”

“Of course!”

“Hmmm.” Kenma shifts on the bed, slouching down farther, a grin curling on their cheek. “I hope you aren’t slacking off.”

“There was a heat advisory!” Shouyou huffs. “I used my free weights at home. While I watched you.” 

Chewing the corner of their lip, they are at once sad and glad that they didn’t know he was watching. Sad, because they could have interacted; glad, because the mental image of sweaty Shouyou breathing harshly as his muscles strain is...distracting. 

“Thanks for the view,” is all they can think to say. 

Shouyou beams. 

The video shakes as Shouyou climbs out of bed and walks to the tiny closet of a bathroom he shares with his roommate. He props his phone on the counter and chatters through his morning routine. Teeth, mouthwash, face wash, a brush through his hair. Kenma hums and nods along until Shouyou reaches for the sunscreen. The redhead is not predisposed to sunburns but he’s committed to caring for all of himself, outside and in, with a dedication that makes Kenma smile. 

And anticipate the moment of every week when their boyfriend rubs himself down from head to toe. 

Of course, Shouyou turns the phone away as soon as his shirt comes off. He giggles when Kenma sighs.

“I’ve seen you change in locker rooms, Shou.”

Shouyou’s voice is muffled. “This is different! We weren’t — ” He trails off. There is a familiar click of a bottle opening. 

“You can say  _ dating. _ ” Selfishly, hypocritically, Kenma is glad the camera is turned away, so their own red cheeks can’t betray them.

“Right. Well, we weren’t  _ dating _ last time we shared a locker room.” 

“We’re dating now.” They don't need to spell out the implication. Shouyou is much, much more savvy than others give him credit for. 

Sure enough, the camera adjusts again and though Shouyou has it purposefully angled from the shoulders up, his face is flushed. There is a visible smear of sunscreen on his neck. “Is that something you...want? Like this?” He gestures vaguely to the bathroom, to the camera, to the ten thousand seven hundred and eighty-seven miles between their bodies. “I want you to see me but not — not when — ”

Honey-sweet tenderness melts into love. There is a sunrise in Brazil and a sunrise in Shouyou, but both are challenged by the presence of the sun in Kenma’s chest. They _burn_ for this boy. “It’s okay, Shouyou. We can talk about it later.”

Shouyou sighs. The tension doesn’t slip all the way off his shoulders. “Okay. We aren’t waiting too long? For you?”

“Of course not. There aren’t any rules, just what we decide.” 

As if Kenma wouldn’t wait forever. As if Kenma wouldn’t give him the sun and moon if he asked. 

A happy grin spreads across those tanned cheeks and stays there until Shouyou is dressed and perched on the edge of his bed. It stays until he begins to roll a sock up his foot. 

Even across the miles, Kenma can tell when the mood shifts. That smile falters.    


“What is it?” they prompt. 

Shouyou sighs, collects his phone off the nightstand and flops onto his back, taking Kenma with him. He scrunches his nose for a second before his eyes flick back to the camera and he asks, “Do you actually worry about me slacking off?”

Kenma’s brows knit together, but before they can respond, Shouyou continues, “Like, because you’re my sponsor, right? I’m an investment, and it’s normal to be worried about your investments. But I don’t want you to worry! The training I’m doing here is working. I can feel my body getting better.” 

“I know,” Kenma gentles. “I can see it too.” 

Shouyou sits up. “Good. I’m taking this so seriously, Kenma. I would never throw away the chance you’ve given me.” 

Most days, Shouyou is still the exuberant teen who sends them cat videos and humorous snaps of seagulls stealing food from tourists. 

But sometimes, Kenma sees flashes of the other side of Shouyou: the hungry-eyed boy from Karasuno, monstrous in his desire for power. The crow who couldn’t be caged. Kenma loves him all the time but especially like this. 

Across the net or across the world, Shouyou’s desire burns. Kenma wants to sun their belly and bask in it.

“I know, Shouyou,” they say, rolling onto their side and pushing their hair out of their face. “You could never let me down. Your Determination skill is too high.” 

The golden boy laughs, scruffs a hand through his hair. “I love you, Kenma.” 

Their grin goes dreamy. “I love you too.” 

“Hey, I gotta go soon.” Shouyou perks up, phone shaking in excitement. “Let me say good morning to my fish!” 

Kenma sits up, twisting around and flipping the camera to the front view so Shouyou can see into the fish tank. A dozen tiny neon tetras dart through the fronds. Kenma patiently follows Shouyou’s instructions —  _ aim higher! No, to the left but higher!  _ — until they find the fish that Shouyou insists is smaller than the others and therefore,  _ his fish. _

Kenma believes the exact identity of  _ his fish _ changes every time, because the tetras look identical, but when they point this out, Shouyou explodes into a long but familiar defense. 

At 6:45 PM, the call ends because Shouyou cannot pedal his bike and talk at the same time. 

Kenma stays in bed, phone gone hot in their palm. They’ll see Shouyou again next week, at exactly 6:00 PM — and the week after that, and the week after that, until their golden boy comes home. 

Or — there is one other option. 

Kenma wanders into their closet to change clothes for the evening stream and looks up flights to Brazil. 

**Author's Note:**

> this author responds to comments! <3
> 
> if you like, you can rt the fic tweet [here](https://twitter.com/greenywrites/status/1317256036340948993?s=20). i deeply appreciate the boost!
> 
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